Improvement in bee-hives



UNITE IMPROVEMENTIN BEE-HlVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 189,291, dated April 3,1877; application filed v January 8, 1877.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, HIRAM WHEATON, 0f

My improvements are designed more especially to afford greater facilityto the bees in j,

passing from the broodchamber to the surplus-honey boxes; topreventrfrequent swarming and loss of bees-therefrom; to give a'mpleventilation in warm weather and protection from the cold; and to renderthe construction advantageously adapted for the removal of any one orall of the surplus-honey boxes, as may be desired.

The hive is of hexagonal build, and has the comb-frames depending fromnear the top of the brood-chamber. A removable glass cover surmounts thecomb-frames, and above these comb-frames an open chamber is formed, sur'mounted bv a removable cloth covering, the

object of which is to absorb the vapor resulting from the respiration ofthe bees, and to isolate the vapor take up from the combframes.

Surplus-honey boxes are arranged one upon another at the several sidesof the brood-cham her, in a manner to leave triangular spaces, which, inconnection with an inclosingcase, form ventilating lines between theseveral tiers of boxes.

The sides of the brood chamber are slides, vertically removable to givefree communication from the brood-chamber directly into any one or allof the honey-boxes, and thereby avoid all unnecessary travel of the beesto deposit the surplus honey, in which case the inner sides of thesurrounding tiers of boxes form the sides of the brood-chamber, theframe of which is formed by fixed posts at its several angles.

The inclosing-case is made removable for convenience in getting at andremoving any one or all of the surplus-honey boxes, and to allow it tobe raised to open a way all round the base of the hive, to affordventilation to the surrounding boxes. The top of the case is also maderemovable, to allow inspection to the comb-frames, and the removal ofthe top boxes of the several tiers, if desired, without removing thecase. The withdrawal of the slides leaves a space between thecomb-frames andreach tier of boxes for the free passage of the beesfromthe brood-chamber to said boxes, and the latter are arranged to fitsnugly between the corner-posts, and to rest upon the bottom of thehive.

case being removed to expose the interior construction Fig. 2, avertical section, and Fig. 3 a horizontal section Fig. 4:, the clothcover for the brood and top ventilating chamber, and Fig. 5 a rear viewof one of the honeyboxes.

The structure of the hive is composed, primarily, of a base, A, andposts B, rising therefrom equidistant from each other, back from theedge of the base, to form, with vertical slides O, the brood-chamber, ofhexagonal or many-sided shape. These slides are made removable from thetop by being fitted in grooves a in the sides of the posts B, and theyextend from the top to the bottom thereof. The pur pose of such removalwill be hereinafter ex-' plained. f f

The comb-frames D are suspended from bars b, secured to the posts ashort distance below j their top, and a removable glass-covered frame,E,rests upon these comb-frames,"and closes the brood-chamber, so that itmay be inspected from the top. Surplus-honey boxes F are arranged intiers at the several sides of'the broodchamber, so as to fit betweenthelposts and against'the slides, and leave angular spaces at eachcorner-post to form, in connection with an inclosing-case, Gr,ventilatingflues H, extending from the base to the top of the hive. Theboxes rest upon the base, and by having the inclosing-case, which alsorests thereon, removable, they can be taken out in tiers or separately.A cover, I, closes the top of the case, to afford facility for removingthe comb -l'rames, when desired, and to take out the slides to affordcommunication between the brood-chamber and the side boxes, for thedeposit of the surplus honey. The removal of these slides gives directaccess for the bees into the boxes, and opens the way to each at oncewithout disturbing them or causing th In the accompanying drawings,Figure'l represents a view, inv perspective, of a bee "hive embracing myinvention, the cover and bees to travel upward. These boxes have frontand back glass covers, the latter having openings 0 c, Fig. 5, to giveentrance into the boxes, and free view through them into thebrood-chamber from all sides when the inclosing case is removed. Whenthe slides are taken out, a free space, 01, Fig. 2, is left between thecomb-frames and the inner sides of the boxes, to give the bees freetravel into said boxes. The lowest box, F, of one of the tiers is open,and, with a corresponding opening, 0, in the case, forms the entrancefor the bees into the hive. The inner side of this box has a tin cover,f, with bottom and top openings g g for the bees, and for ventilation tothe brood chamber. At this tier of boxes the slide does not extend tothe base, but rests upon the entrance-box.

In the winter season the surplus honey boxes are removed, the slidesinserted in place, and the spaces occupied by them, including theangular flues H, are filled with any non-conducting material for winterprotection. The glass coverof the brood-chamber is also removed, and thechamber J above the comb-frames, formed by the extension of the slidesand posts, opens into said brood-chamher, and has a cloth cover, K, Fig.4, to absorb and hold the vapors produced fromthe respiration of thebees. In this way the hive is provided with complete facilities for workand winter protection.

The angular flues serve to equalize the temperature, and the ventilationof the system of honey-boxes can be made complete in hot weather byraising the inclosing-case a little from the base to open a way.

The slides and the posts extend about two inches above the brood-chamberand frames, to form, in addition to a ventilating-chamber, an apartmentfor feeding the bees in winter, and when the store or brood chamber isdeficient in honey, the glass cover being removed, the bees have readyaccess to the top, and the cloth cover then closes the chamber.

The posts B and the base A are the only fixed parts of the hive, andthey form a skeleton structure, upon and to which the several partsconstituting the hive are fitted and held in place without fastenings,afiording facility for easy removal of each part separately. The

fixed posts, being simply secured to the base and top braces, form theguides for the slides, the surplus-honey boxes, and the supports forthe'combframes. This affords a facility and cheapness of constructionand a capacity which are of much importance in bee-hives.

1 claim- 1. The oombination,with the surplus-honey boxes F, the posts B,and the removable slides O, forming the comb-cham ber, of the removableinclosing-case G, and the removable cover I, s'ubstantially in themanner and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. The means herein described of forming the corner ventilating flues H,consisting of the tiersof surplus-honey boxes F, the inclosing-case G,and the fixed posts B, said boxes being arranged between the case andthe comb-chamber, and said fines being formed within said space by andbetween the wallsof the tiers of boxes, as herein set forth.

3. The removable and interchangeable covers E and K, in combination withthe slides 0, posts B, and inclosing-case, forming the top and combchamber, as and for the purpose herein set forth.

4. The slides O and posts B, extended above the com b-frames D, combinedwith the removable glass cover E and inclosing-case, to form. the topchamber J, as and for thepurpose herein set forth.

5. The combination, with the radial tiers of honey-boxes F, arranged toform ventilatingflues between them, as described, of the inclosin g-caseG, adapted to be raised sufficiently from the base to open said flues atthe bottom, to give equal ventilation to the several tiers ofhoney-boxes, as described.

6. The base A and the fixed posts B, constructed to form a skeletonframe constituting guides, holds, and supports for the boxes, and thecomb-chamber slides, and combined with the removable inclosing-case, inthe manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HIRAM WHEATON.

Witnesses:

SANFORD B. MGOLURE, LEVI YOUNG.

